Vacuous refrigerator and method of maintaining vacuum therein



Feb. 18, 1930. o, CARREY 1,747,969

VACUOUS REFRIGERATOR AND METHOD OF MAINTAINING VACUUM THEREIN Filed Feb. 25, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 18, 1930. O A R 1,747,969

VACUOUS REFRIGERATOR AND METHOD OF MAINTAINING VACUUM THEREIN Filed Feb. 25, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 18, 1930' UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE JOHN O. OARREY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO 0. 86 C. ENGINEERING COM- PANY, INC., OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI VAOUOUS REFRIGERATOR AND METHOD OF MAINTAINING VACUUM THEREIN Application vfiled February 25, 1926. Serial No. 90,550.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in refrigerators and a novel method of heat-insulating the walls of refrigerators, enameling ovens, furnaces, and,

7 1 able between the spaced walls to strengthen the latter, said means being provided with suitable passageways to permit intercommunication therethrough.

With these and other objectsin view, my 2 invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing's, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator of my improved construction.

Figure 2 is a front elevational View, partly in cross section, with the doors thereof removed.' Figure 3 is a vertical cross section taken on line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a detail view of the door latch. Figure '5 is a detail cross section showing the construction of the joint of the spaced 3 wall members.

reinforcing means.

' Figure 10 is a detail view showing the construction of the vent opening for the refrigerator casing. v

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings,: 10 indicates a refrigerator insulated to prevent radiation of heat there- 7 20 is insulated from said lead covering and casing comprising .top and bottom walls 11 and 12, respectively, side walls 13, rear wall 14, and doors 15. The doors are hinged at 16 to the side walls 13 and are locked in closed. position by latches 17 which are secured to said doors and engage a notched bar 18 which projects from central rail 19. The walls of the refrigerator are made of an inner sheet member 20 and an outer sheet member 21, preferably formed of metal and said members are spaced from each other to provide a chamber 22 which is co-extensive with said walls. These sheet members are preferably formed .to provide two box-shaped members, the inner one of which is nested within the 65 outer one and spaced therefrom a suitable distance to form chamber 22. The marginal flanges of said sheet members of box-shaped structures are joined together and form tight door openings for the refrigerator casing.

This joint is illustrated in Figure 5 and is so constructed that while it forms an air-tight joint, said members 20 and 21 do not form any direct contact with each other but are 7 between.

In forming this joint, the edge 20 of member 20 is bent obli uely to member 20 and the edge 21* of mem er 21 is bent outwardly parallel with portion 20 and is then rebent inwardly to form a pocket 23, in which the bent edge 20 is received. A U-shaped strip 24 of heat non-conducting material such as asbestos is placed over the bent edge 20 and a thin sheet 25 of lead is then placed over the U-shaped strip 24 and the whole is then forced into the pocket 23, and the assembled joint has the lead covering 25 bearing against the inner face of rebent edge 21 and the edge from edge 21 by asbestos covering 24.

If desired, the rebent portion 21 may be now crimped at opposite points 0-11 to form an air-tight joint and secure the edges of members 20 and 21 in assembled relation. The edges of the spaced wall members of doors 15 may be joined in a similar manner.

To prevent buckling or collapsing of the sheet walls of the refrigerator when the air is exhausted from chamber 22 and the chambers of walls 15, I insert reinforcing members 26, preferably consisting of lattice work formed of wood or other material which is a poor conductor of heat. This lattice work 26 culate during the exhausting operation.

The air is exhausted from chamber 22 by a vacuum pump (not shown) which is connected by a pipe connection 30 to a trap or mercury reservoir 31, the latter being arranged to one side of casing 10. A pipe 32 extends vertically from reservoir 31 and has its upper end connected to chamber 22 as indicated at 33 in Figure 3. Reservoir 31 contains a certain amount of mercury and the lower end of tube 32 terminates at short distance above the bottom of reservoir 31, while the pipe 30 is connected to the upper portion of reservoir 31 as indicated at 34, and a suitable distance above the level of mercury contained in said reservoir. Pipe 32 is of sufiicient length so that when the air is exhausted from chamber 22 and the mercury rises in said tube due to atmospheric pressure, the top of the mercury will be a suitable distance below connection 33 to prevent admission of mercury into the chamber. As the mercury will rise in the tube 32 to a height of about seventy-six centimeters, connection 33 would have to be a short distance above that.

While the exhausting apparatus and connections'form a permanent part of the refrigerator, casing doors 15 may be exhausted by being placed in position and permanently sealed so that no exhausting operations will be necessary for the doors.

The drawers (not shown) are supported within the casing by means of framework 36 which is removably arranged in the interior of the casing. This framework consists of rectangular pieces or frames 37 connected together by top and bottom transverse members 38. Frames 37 are provided with vertically disposed intermediate members 39 which sup port a partition wall 40 and dividesthe interior of the refrigerator into two compartments A and B. Y

' A series of tracks or ledges 41 are arranged in each compartment at suitable heights and form supports for said drawers. A..pipe connection 49 extends through chamber 22 between members 20 and 21 and is insulated therefrom and forms a vent connection for the interior of the casing.

I claim:

1. The method of constructingrefrigerators consisting in formingthe walls thereof of spaced outer and inner shells, bracing said shells throughout their entire areas against atmospheric pressure by suitable heat nonconducting spacers arranged so as to allow unobstructed passage through said chambers exhausting the air from said chambers and side of said container being provided with a door opening; said opening consisting of the edges of the inner shell, a heat insulating member bent U.-'shape over said edges, means for securing said insulating member in position, and the edges of said outer shell crimped over said means in insulated relation with the edges of said inner shell to provide a hermetically sealed joint for said peripheral chamber; and a closure member for said opening.

3. In a heat insulating container, the com- ,bination of an outer metallic shell, an inner metallic shell wholly spaced from the first shell to form a single peripheral chamber, one side of said container being provided with a door opening; said opening consisting of the edges ofthe inner shell, a heat insulating "member bent U-shape over said edges, means for securing said insulating member in position, and the edges of said .outer shell crimped over said means in insulated relation with the edges of said inner shell to provide a hermetically sealed joint for said peripheral chamber ;.a closure member for said opening,

and a material supporting framework disposed within said inner shell.

4. In a heat insulating container, the combination of an outer metallic shell, an inner metallic shell wholly spaced from the first shell to form a single peripheral chamber, one side of said container being provided with an outwardly flared door opening; said opening consisting of the edges of the inner shell bent obliquely, a heat insulating member bent U- shape over said edges, means for securing said insulating member in position, and the edges of said outer shell bent into U-shape, to fit over said means and said U-shaped insulating member and insulated from the edges of said inner shell to form obliquely disposed walls for said door openin and a door for said opening and insulate from said inner shell.

5. In a heat insulating container, the combination of an outer metallic shell, an .inner metallic shell wholly spaced from the first shell to form a single peripheral chamber, one side of said container being provided with an outwardly flared door opening; said opening consisting of the edges of the inner shell bent obliquely, a heat insulating member bent U- shape over said edges, means for securing said 7 insulating member in position, and the edges of said outer shell bent into U-shape to fit over said means and said U-shaped insulating member and insulated from the edges of said inner shell to form obliquely disposed walls for said door opening; a door for said opening and insulated from said inner shell, and a material supporting framework removably arranged within said inner shell.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature this 19th day of January, 1926.

, JOHN O. GARREY. 

